Hello, my name is Milena Malanski Fernandes and I'm 28 years old and currently living in Sweden. I am a native Portuguese - Brazil speaker and teach English, Portuguese - Brazil. I have been an online Portuguese - Brazil teacher with Verbalplanet.com since February 2018.
I can speak the following languages fluently: Portuguese - Brazil, English.
I am currently offering a free initial trial lesson for new students.

Milena Malanski Fernandes

Detailed Profile in English

About me

Hello,

My name is Milena, I'm Brazilian and a Portuguese / English teacher. I am currently a foreigner living in Sweden, and I know how foreigners' lives can be difficult. Although everyone knows English here, the official language will always be Swedish. It's not at all comfortable when you come to a group of people chatting excitedly in a language unfamiliar to you, and everyone has to change their language because of you. I had already forgotten how learning a new language can be difficult and challenging, so now I really can put myself in the students' shoes. I've always been interested in languages, ​​since I was a kid, and that's the reason why I studied the subject at university. My passion for Portuguese and English has only grown since I started teaching.

My experiences as a teacher have taught me to always have empathy, because besides being a teacher, I have also been a student, and I know how hard it is to learn when you have someone who is impatient and not very empathetic. Given this, I always try to understand the particularities and difficulties of each student, in order to provide a class compatible with each one and that can generate the maximum of use.

I am passionate about books, films and series, so I always try to bring current themes to class. In addition, I am a great listener and I try to make the students feel free to talk, without fear of mistakes or judgments and thus, to develop to the maximum in the classes. Anyway, I am someone who always seeks to evolve as a professional and as a person.

Qualifications & Experience

I have a full degree in Portuguese / English teaching from the Federal University of Paraná. I also have a translation and interpretation course, held at the Choice-academy of professions. I am currently completing Tesol, a specialization course in language teaching, from the University of Arizona.

My experience with teaching began in 2010 in a scholarship program offered by the university where I was studying (PIBID- UFPR). In this program, I worked in public schools in Curitiba / Brazil, teaching Portuguese and English to primary and secondary school students. After this experience, I worked at the Human Development Center (CDH), helping students in Portuguese, English and literature. I clarified doubts, explained contents, corrected texts and offered private lessons for those who had more difficulty.

I did several internships in public and private schools, teaching children and teenagers. In 2014, I participated in an ONG (ELO, social and environmental support), where I worked with students from 14 to 18 years. My longest experience was in a language school where I taught adults. In addition to teaching, correcting texts and tests, I also offered training for new employees and trainees.

As soon as I moved to Sweden, I began to give Skype classes informally, to acquaintances from Brazil and I intend to become professional in this activity. I am also working at Folkuniversitetet in Göteborg / Sweden, as an invigilator for English proficiency tests (Ielts and Cambridge).

Teaching Approach

I believe that students should learn as a child. In other words, they must learn naturally, especially speaking, and then engage in grammar and reading. Learning a language should only be a part of the students' goal. Through dialogue and conversation, they can learn about other cultures as well, and the teacher's task is to present a new world for the students, but always leave them as protagonists of their own learning.

Learning naturally will help students develop a desire to learn a new language for the simple enjoyment of learning. In addition, learning a language is a way to meet different people, connect and form a global society. The teacher should use all possible strategies and techniques to make students learn a new language in all of their areas: reading, writing, listening and speaking, but the main one must be speech. The teacher should make the students feel comfortable during class, removing any barriers.

I try to connect the contents with the the students' reality and the previous class, in order to form a logical sequence that can create a consistent learning. I try to explain the lesson's content and the intended objectives with it, always having a conversation with the student. Most of the class is practicing the new language, because practice is the best way to learn. Usually, there is a guided practice and then an independent one. In guided practice, I carry out an activity with the student's help, so that in independent practice he can carry it out on his own. Then, he can see his knowledge and progress. The class should flow naturally and all parts must be connected, so that students can follow the thinking and become interested and motivated.

A good way of assessing is to expose students to some mistakes made in the language, regarding the topic studied and see if they are able to identify and correct them. Thus, they will perceive better when they make a mistake. Quizzes and games are also a form of evaluation, promoting a comfortable and fun environment to learn.